Graphophone.



No. 730,986. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903. 0. s. TAINTER. GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED Duo. 29. 1902.

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No. 730,986. I P ATENTED JUNE 16,-1903. G. S. TAINTER. GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29. 1902.

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No. 730,986. PATENTEDJUNB 1.6, 1903.

I O. S. TAINTER.

GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED no. 20. 1902.

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No. 730,986. PATENTED JUNE 1 1903. 0. s. TAINTER.

GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLIOATION FILED D110. 29. 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FIG. 9.

% [NVENTOR UNITED STATES Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. TAINTER, OF \(VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TOAMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACORPORATION OF WVEST VIRGINIA.

GRAPHOPHONE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 730,98 6, dated June 16,1903.-

Application filed December 29, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES S. TAINTER,

Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in 5, Graphophones, which invention isfully set forth in thefollowing specification.

In talking-machines now commonly used, wherein the record of sound ismade on a disk. tablet, it is customary to" rotate the tablet at auniform speed, the desired uniformity being attained by suitablespeedregulating means associated with the .drivingmotor. The record,usually in the form of a groove,

is formed on the face of the disk tablet in a volute or spiralcommencing at the outer edge of the disk, where the speed of movement ofthe surface is greatest, and extending toward the center, where thespeed of movement is least. It follows that the surface of the tablet ator near its outer edge will travel under a recording orreproducing-stylus at much greater speed than the surface near thecenter of the tablet, the speed gradually decreasing as the recording orreproducing stylus moves toward the center of rotation. In other words,the record-disk will travel under the recorder or reproducer at aconstantly-varying surface speed. In Patent No. 341,214, of May 4, 1886,to Bell and Tainter, we referred to advantages to be gained by givingthe rotating record-disk a uniform surface speed under the recorder orreproducer and illustrated and described therein means for imparting thedesired speed of rotation through. a friction-wheel bearing against theunder or rear side of a plate upon which the tablet rests, relativetransverse movement being imparted to the friction-wheel and plate tocause said wheel to operate against the plate at a point directlyopposite or under the recorder or reproducer bearing upon thetablet-surface. Similar means were shown and described in my'Patent No.385,886, of July 10, 1888; but this manner of rotating the tabletpresents difliculties and objections, principally the necessity ofrelative transverse movement between the supporting-plate andfriction-wheel, wherefore it has never, so far as I am aware, beencommercially used to any Serial No. 137,024. (No model.)

material extent and could not be successfully applied to machines nowupon the market.

According to my present invention I attain the desireduniformity ofsurface speed under the recorder or reproducer by providing means forautomatically and gradually varying or changing the speed of thedriving-mo tor to compensate for the constantly-changing position of therecorder or reproducer on the tablet-surface. As applied, for example,

to the commercial disk form of machine employing disk tablets,whereinthe Volute soundgroove commences at the outer edge of the record-surface and extends toward the center, the means employed according to myinvention act to gradually increase the speed of the o 5 motor. Shouldthe record of sound extend in i the opposite direction, the speed of themotor would be gradually decreased. 7

\Vhile my invention is herein shown and described principally withreference to ma- 7c chines employing flat disk records having the recordformed on the face thereof in a simple volute or spiral, it isapparently applicable to machines employing any form of record-tabletthe surface of which is not at all points at the same distance from theaxis of rotation, or, in other words, employing a tablet wherein asound-record formed thereon gradually becomes throughout its length moredistant from or nearer to the axis of ro- 8o tation. For example, it isapplicable to machines employing tablets having concave, convex,conical, frusto-conical, or spherical surfaces on which the record isformed in a helico-volute.

The volume of sound reproduced from disk records with machines nowcommonly used gradually diminishes from the commencement to the end ofthe reproduction. This is due to the gradual diminution in surface speedas the reproducer moves toward the axis of rotation of the disk tablet.This diminution in volume, which is always more or less objectionable,is-overcome by driving the record-disk at a uniform speed under the re-5 producer. Furthermore, as stated in Patent No. 3113M, referred to, bygiving to the disk a uniform surface speed under the recorder or bymaking the times of each rotation in versely proportional to thedistance of the recorder from the center of the disk, the record of anygiven word or sound will be of the same length at whatever part of thedisk it may be, and in this way it is possible to considerably increasethe number of Words or sounds on a given area.

As will be apparent, my invention is capable of many mechanicalembodiments, several of which are shown in the accompanying drawings andwill now be explained in detail to show how the invention is or may beapplied.

Figure lie :1 view showing the-casing in vertical section and themechanism in elevatio'n. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing therelative position of the speed-controlling cam and the lever actuatedthereby when the reproducer has traversed about half the distance fromthe outer edge to the inner edge of the record. Figs. 3 and 4 are viewssimilar to Figs.'1 and 2 of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5is a detail of parts shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 show stillanother embodiment of the invention, Figs. 6 and 8 being views at rightangles to eachother, showing the casing in vertical section and themechanism in elevation, Fig. 7 a diagrammatic view of the gearingemployed for driving various parts, and Fig. 9 a top plan view, onlypart of the casing of the machine being shown.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is a drum inclosing the usual motor-springfor driving gear-wheel 2, which in turn meshes with pinion 3 on shaft 4.Gear 5 on shaft 4 meshes with pinion 26 on shaft 27, which projects atits upper end through the top of the casing and carries turn-table orplate 5?, upon which the disk record-tablet 6 rests. A gear-wheel 7 atthe upper end of shaft 27 meshes with a pinion 8 on the spindle 9, andgear 10 on said spindle meshes with pinion 11 on the governor-shaft 12.The governor, which is of the usual centrifugal friction type, comprises a collar 13, secured to shaft 12, saidcollar being connected witha second collar 14, free to move longitudinally on the shaft byspringblades 15, each of which carries at its middle a-weight 16.

17 is a friction-disk secured to or formed integral with collar 14 andadapted to be more or less elevated as the speed of the motor increasesand the weights fly out by centrifugal action. The mechanism as thus fardescribed is old and well known.

18 is a lever fulcrumed at 19 in a bracket secured to theinner surfaceof the casing, said lever extending upwardly through an I opening 20 inthe top plate of the casing. An

arm 21 on the lever overhangs the edge of friction-plate 17 and carriesa friction pad or stud 22, of leather, cork,-or similar material,adapted to bear upon the surface of said disk as it rotates, and therebycontrol the speed of the motor.

23 is a starting and stopping device, consisting in this instance of anarm 23, carried by a spindle 24, which is mounted on a bearing securedto the inner face of the casing and projects at one end to the outsideof the casing, where it is provided with a suitable thumb-nut,suchasshownin Fig. 5. Asshown in Fig. 1, the arm 23 is in position to permitthe motor to run. To stop the motor, the shaft 24 is rotated by itsthumb-nut to bring the arm 23 in'a horizontal position, causing itsouter end to bear upon the spring 25, secured to and extending along theside of lever 18, thereby moving the upper end of said lever to theleft,,Fig. 1, and forcing the frictionpad 22 down against thefriction-disk 17 with such force as to completely stop the motormechanism.

30 is a swinging arm swiveled at its outer end in the usual manner in abracket 31, secured to the side of the casing.

32 is a reproducer carried at the free end held in engagement with theedge 35 of plate 34 by the action of a spring 37, which constantly tendsto force the upper end of the lever 18 to the right, Fig. 1. said spring37 is, however, easily overcome in operating the starting and stoppingdevice. As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the edge 35 of the plate 34 iscam-shaped and adapted to so operate in conjunction with lever 18 as togradually raise the friction-pad 22 as the reproducer travels from theouter edge of the record-tablet toward the center thereof along the linea b, Fig. 2, thereby permitting the speed of the motor to graduallyincrease to produce a uniform surface speed under the reproducer.

It will be understood that the-shape and disposition of the actingsurface of plate 34 may be so determined as to obtain this uniformity ofsurface speed under the reproducer with great accuracy. By turning thescrew 36 the position of the friction-pad 22 may be changed(irrespective of the action of the cam) for the purpose of increasing ordecreasing the initial speed of the motor, this adjustment of course inno way interferingwith the operation of the cam or inclined surface inproducing the desired uniformity of speed under the reproducer.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 thegovernor-shaft 40, on which the friction-disk 41 is adapted to be movedin a vertical direction by the weights 42 under the influence ofcentrifugal action, rests at its lower end in abearing at one end of arocker-arm 43, fulcru med at 44. A screw 45, extending downwardlythrough the top of V the casing, carries at its upper end a milled Thetension of.

head 46 and at its lower end passes through part of the motor-frame andbears on the other end of the rocker-arm 43, swinging said arm on itsfulcrum and moving the shaft 40 longitudinally to raise or lower thesame, causing the disk 41 to engage the friction-pad 47 at a lower orhigher speed of the motor, whereby the initial speed of the motor may beadjusted without interfering with the automatic control of said speed,about to be explained. In the embodiment of the invention shown in thesefigures (Figs. 3, 4, and 5) the swivel-pin 51, on which the swinging arm52 of the machine turns, projects downwardly through a bearing 53 intothe casing. An arm or plate 70 within the casing is secured to the lowerend of said pin, and therefore receives a swinging movement in ahorizontal plane exactly corresponding to the swinging movement of arm52. At its free extremity arm 70 has an inclined or cam-shaped edge orsurface 54, against which the upper end of arm bears, said edge being sodisposed and shaped as to actuate the lever to gradually raise thefriction-pad as the reproducer travels from the outer edge of therecorddisk toward the inner edge thereof along the line 0 (Z, Fig. 4,thereby permitting the speed of the motor to gradually increase. Theshape of the inclined or cam-shaped edge may, as before stated, be sodetermined as to produce an accurate uniformity of speed under thereproducer. The starting and stopping device 55 shown in Figs. 3 and 5operates in the same manner as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It iscarried bya shaft 56, adapted to be rotated by a milled head 57. A lug58 on arm 55 engages pins 59 and 60 to limit the movement of the arm.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 instead of employingan arm for the recorder or reproducer arranged to swing on a swivel-pinas it is fed by the grooved record-tablet, as in other figures of thedrawings, mechanism is provided for feeding the arm carrying therecorder or igproducer in dependently of the record-tablet. 60 is a drumcontaining the motor-spring, as before, and driving a gear 61, meshingwith pinion 62 on shaft 63, which projects at its upper end through thetop of the casing and carriesthe turn-table or plate 64, upon which therecorddisk 65 rests. A-gear-wheel 66 on shaft 63 meshes with pinion 67on shaft 68,and agear 69 on said shaft meshes with a pinion 90 on thegovernor-shaft 71. The governor-shaftis provided with a friction-disk72, adapted to be moved vertically thereon by the action of weightsactuated by centrifugal force, as already described with reference tothe other figures. Shaft 71, which is mounted in bearings so as to haveslight longitudinal move ment, rests at its lower extremity upon one endof rocker-beam 75, fulcrumed at.76, said beam bearing at its other endagainst the lower extremity of a screw 89, adapted to be turned bymilled head 79. Adjustment of the'screw moves the rocker-arm 7 50m itsfulcrum, so as to slightly raise or lower the governor-shaft 71 andcause the disk 72 to engage friction-pad 80 at a lower orhigher speed ofthe motor, whereby the initial speed of the motor may be adjusted, asalready described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

81 is a lever fulcrumed atone end at 82 and at its other end workingbetween two guide-lugs 83 83. This lever carries the friction-pad 80,above referred to. A spring 84, projecting upwardly from the upper sideof the lever, is adapted to be engaged by the starting and stoppingdevice 85, operated by milled head 86 Fig. 8, in the same manner as thestarting and stopping device shown in Figs. 3 and 5. A spring 86,securedto the under side of lever 81, tends to force said lever upwardlyand hold it in engagementwith the lower inclined edge of a plate 87, tobe more fully referred to hereinafter.

91 isa carriage extending upwardly through a slot 92 in the top of thecasing and comprising at its lower end a sleeve 93 and a depending arm94, sleeve 93 fitting about tube 95, on which it is free to slide.Sleeve 93 is supported at opposite ends in standards 96 96 and inelosesa feed-screw 97, carrying a bevelgear 98 at one end. The feed-screw isrotated by the motor through pinion 99 on shaft 63, meshing with gear100, which in turn meshes with pinion 101 on spindle 102. Bevelgear 102on said spindle drives bevel-gear 98, thereby rotating the feed-screw97. Segmental nut 105, movable vertically in a hollow part of thecarriage, is adapted to engage the feed-screw through a slot in theupper side of tube 95, a coiled spring 106 tending to force the nutdownwardlyinto engagement with the feed-screw. A rod 107, extendingupwardly from the nut through spring 106, has a horizontal arm 108 atits upper end. A spindle 110, adapted to be rotated in bearings on thecarriage by a milled head 111, has

a lug 112, adapted to engage under arm 108 and move it upwardly todisengage nut 105 from the feed-screw, so that the carriage can be movedto any desired position. By the same operation the upturned end 113 ofarm 108 engages under and lifts the reproducer or recorder arm 120,therebylifting the stylus of the recorder or reproducer from the recordand avoiding injury to these parts when the nut is disengaged from thefeed-screw and the carriage free to be moved independently thereof.

Plate 87, before referred to, is rigidly secured to the-lower end of arm94 and of course partakes of the movement imparted to the carriage. Thelower edge of said plate is inclined or slanted, so as to have a camlikeaction upon the end of lever 81, upon which it bears, graduallydepressing said lever to lower the friction-pad 80 should the feed ofthe machine be from the right to the left, Fig. 8, or permitting spring86 to gradually raise the lever 81 and the friction-pad 80 if the feedis in the reverse direction.

These variations in the position of the friction-pad cause correspondingvariations in the motor-speed, thereby producing a uniform surface speedunder the recorder or reproducer.

The hollow recorder or reproducer arm 120, through which the sounds areconveyed, is mounted on a horizontal pivot 14:0 in a tubular socket 141on carriage 91. The pivotal connection is sufficiently loose to permitslight lateral play of the arm. A horn or mouthpiece may be slipped ontothe socket 141.

As will be apparent, my invention is applicable to machines adapted torecord, as well as to reproduce, sounds and may be used in theproduction of records having either perpendicular or lateral undulationscorresponding to sound-waves. It may also be used in reproducing fromeither of these types of records. Furthermore, it will be apparent thatthe principle of my invention is susceptible of many difierentmechanical embodiments and is not limited to the particular means hereinshown and described.

What is claimed is 1. In a machine for recording or reproducating inconjunction with the tablet, motor mechanism for rotating the tablet,and automatically-operating speed-controlling means varying the speed ofthe motor as the recorder or reproducer moves toward or from the axis ofrotation of the tablet.

2. In a machine for recording or reproducing sounds, a rotatable tablethaving a surface of such form that a record of sound formed thereonalong a volute or spiral line will vary in distance from the axis ofrotation of the tablet, a recorder or reproducer operating inconjunction with the tablet, motor mechanism for rotating the tablet,and automatically-operating speed-controlling means varying the speed ofthe motor to produce approximately uniform surface speed under therecorder or reproducer.

3. The combination with a rotatable tablet having diiferent surfacespeeds at different points on its surface when rotated at a uniformaxial speed, of a recorder or reproducer operating in conjunction withthe tablet, m0- tor mechanism for rotating the tablet, and automaticallyoperating speed controlling means varying the speed of the motoraccording to the position of the recorder or reproducer on the surfaceof the tablet.

4. The combination with a rotatable tablet having different surfacespeeds at different points on its surface when rotated at a uniformaxial speed, of a recorder or reprod ucer operating in conjunction withthe tablet, motor mechanism for rotating the tablet, and automaticallyoperating speed controlling means varying the speed of the motor toproveo,ese v duce an approximately uniform surface speed under therecorder or reproducer.

5. In a machine for recording or reproducing sounds, a rotatable tablethaving a surface of such form that a record of sound formed thereonalong a volute or spiral line will vary in distance from the axis ofrotation of the tablet, a recorder or reproducer operating inconjunction with the tablet, motor mechanism for rotating the tablet,and automatically operating speed controlling means increasing the speedof the motor as the recorder or reproducer moves toward the axis ofrotation of the tablet or vice versa.

6. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating said support, and automatically-operated speedchangingmechanism for varying the speed of the motor including a controllingdevice or part to which movements are imparted corresponding to themovements of the recorder or reproducer in tracking a spiral line on therecord-tablet.

7. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating said support, a recorder or reproducer, a support orcarrier for the recorder or reproducer movable therewith as it tracks aspiral line on the record-tablet, and automatically-operatedspeed-changing mechanism for varying the speed of the motor including acontrolling device or part having connection with the support or carrierand following the movements thereof.

8. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating said support, a recorder or reproducer, anautomatically-operated speed-changin g lever movable to vary the speedof the motor, and a device or part controlling the movement of saidlever to which device or part movements are imparted corresponding tothe movements of the recorder or reproducer in tracking a spiral line onthe record-tablet.

9. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating said support, a recorder or reproducer, a support orcarrier for the recorder or reproducer movable therewith as it tracks aspiralline on the record-tablet, an automatically-operatedspeed-changing lever movable to vary the speed of the motor, and adevice or part having an inclined or cam-like edge or surface againstwhich the lever bears and by which its movements are controlled saiddevice or part having connection with the supporter carrier andfollowing the movements thereof.

10. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating the same, a centrifugal frictional speed-governor for themotor comprising a disk rotated by the motor, centrifugal devices foraxially moving the disk and a friction device bearing against the disk,a recorder or reproducer, and automatically-operated mechanism forchanging the position of the friction device thereby varying the speedof the motor.

IIO

11. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating the same, a centrifugal frictional speed-governor for themotor comprising a disk rotated by the motor, centrifugal devices foraxially moving the disk and a friction device bearing against the diskand limiting the axial movement thereof, and automatically-operatedmeans for changing the position of the friction device thereby varyingthe speed of the motor.

12. The combination of a rotatable support for a record-tablet, a motorfor rotating the same, a centrifugal frictional speed-governor for themotor comprising a disk rotated by the motor, centrifugal devices foraxially moving the disk and a friction device bearing against the diskand limiting the axial movement thereof, a lever carrying the frictiondevice and automatically-operated lever-actuating means for moving thelever and changing the position of the friction device thereby varyingthe speed of the motor.

13. In a machine for recording or reproducing sounds, a rotatable tablethaving a surface of such form that a record of sound formed thereonalong a volute or spiral line will vary in distance from the axis ofrotation of the tablet, a recorder or reproducer operating inconjunction with the tablet, a motor for rotating the tablet,a-centrifugal frictional speed-governor for the motor comprising a diskrotated by the motor, centrifugal devices for axially moving the diskand a friction device bearing against the disk and limiting the axialmovement thereof, and automaticallyoperating speed-controlling meansgradually moving the friction device to permit the speed of the motor togradually increase as the recorder or reproduce'r moves toward the axisof rotation of the tablet and vice versa.

14. The combination of a rotatable recordtablet, a motor for rotatingthe same, a recorder or reproducer operating in conjuncadjusting devicefor changing the position of the friction device to determine theinitial speed of the motor, and automatically-open ating speedcontrolling means gradually changing the position of the friction deviceto gradually vary the speed of the motor.

15. The combination of arotatable recordtablet, a motor for rotating thesame, a recorder or reproducer operating in conjunction with the tablet,a frictional speed-governor for the motor comprising a disk rotated bythe motor, centrifugal devices for axially moving the disk and arelatively stationary friction device bearing against the disk andlimiting the axial movement thereof, a speedadjusting device forchanging the position of the friction device to determine the initialspeed of the motor, a starting and stopping device for forcibly pressingthe friction device against the disk to stop the motor, andautomatically operating speed controlling means gradually changing theposition of the friction device to gradually vary the speed of themotor.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. TAINTER. Witnesses:

D. W. OADY, F. H. GRAY.

